Saturday Night Dirt

I am not a car person, least of all car racing, but I enjoyed this book quite a bit (skimmed over the car talk). The book follows several characters over the course of a Saturday as they prepare for the weekly races at a local track. Some characters are more memorable than others such as Melody, the business-like track manager and Maurice the by-the-book flag man. Car racing is the big entertainment in this small town and the author describes the culture, track action and the people involved in a way that will absorb young readers.

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

It's not NASCAR or the Indy 500. It is small town, dirt track racing. There's dust in the air, and colorful characters racing their cars around the track. There's plenty of competition, an intense desire to win, and enough mystery and intrigue to keep even non-racing fans on the edge of their seats.

SATURDAY NIGHT DIRT is set at Headwaters Speedway in Minnesota. Mel Walters and her father, Johnny Walters, are struggling to keep their little race track in business. Johnny, once a driver himself, is now confined to a wheelchair after a tragic accident years ago. Mel's mother needed only a few short weeks to determine she couldn't stay married to a man in a wheelchair, so Mel show more and her dad have been on their own for quite some time.

Still in high school, Mel acts as track manager, and she is probably the sole reason for the track's continued success. The story begins and ends on one Saturday. Because of Mel's drive and determination, it's a Saturday that makes history for the track and just might breathe some new life into it.

Other members of the cast of characters include several young racers like Trace, Amber, and Beau hoping to make their mark in racing. There's Patrick, who handles parking and sings the national anthem before the night's racing begins. Maurice is a retired navy man who handles the signal flags like a pro. There are also the down-and-out racers like Sonny from the local reservation who lack the funds to really be taken seriously by the other competitors. Even the ever present threat of bad weather becomes a player in the non-stop action at the track. Each plays a part in the Saturday night excitement and helps make the story a real page-turner.

SATURDAY NIGHT DIRT is billed on the cover as "A Motor Novel." Hopefully, that means it is the first of many more. Weaver's book is especially excellent for reluctant guy readers, even if they don't have a special interest in the sport of dirt track racing. show less

Will Weaver brings the drama behind the Saturday Night dirt track racing to life. I was drawn into the lives of the characters and enjoyed the detailed description of the racing--detail that was good enough to help someone who doesn't follow racing understand what goes on during those high speed laps.